Clippers, Goedert look to continue streaks

A month has come and gone since the Clippers last won three consecutive games. Jared Goedert has
been a little hotter than that since his arrival from double-A Akron on May 18.

Columbus can capture its third straight game with a win tonight at Syracuse. The Clippers
haven't accomplished such a modest feat since having a three-game run from April 27-29. Last
night's 9-6 win over the Chiefs gave them a two-game win streak for the first time since May 6-7.
This is how a team's record goes from 17-13 to 23-25.

If a turnaround is happening, Goedert is a large part of the reason. He hit a three-run home run
last night and now has homered in four straight games. This is the second four-game home run streak
for Goedert with the Clippers. He had one between July 6-10 in 2010. (Fernando Seguignol had a
five-game streak in '03).

Goedert also has 14 RBI in the past five games to go with a seven-game hitting streak since his
return to Triple-A.

He is batting .355 overall with 4 home runs and 15 RBI in seven games. The production isn't a
fluke. Goedert was leading the Eastern League in hitting (.395), on-base percentage (.476) and
slugging percentage (.613) at the time of his promotion.

Goedert was an integral part of the 2010 and '11 Columbus championship teams and
admittedly a bit down when the parent Cleveland Indians told him he was beginning this season at
Akron.

He was a third baseman for the Clippers in '10, but the arrival of top prospect Lonnie
Chisenhall at that postion in '11 pushed Goedert to first base. An oblique injury kept him on the
disabled list early in '11 and cost him his spot on the 40-man roster. He returned to have a solid
year with Columbus.

In the middle of spring training, the Indians asked him to try the outfield instead of first or
third because Matt LaPorta and Russ Canzler was ticketed to play first base for the Clippers
and Chisenhall was returning to third. Goedert agreed to the switch,
but the outfield opening was in Akron. He kept a level head.

"People say it's not where you start," Goedert said. "It's where you end. That's how I
approached it."

He has played long enough to know what can happen if a player takes the I-don't-deserve-this
path.

"I've seen the guys that kind of turn it in," Goedert said. "I've seen the guys that don't
in this situation. I didn't want to be a guy that turns it in. It's just the way I was
raised."

The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 tonight. Chris Seddon (4-3, 4.70) is starting for the
Clippers against Tanner Roark (3-5, 3.89).

Pitcher Zach McAllister rejoined the team yesterday after being optioned by the Indians. He
will likely start the series opener against the Buffalo Bisons at 2:05 p.m. Monday in Coca-Cola
Field.